


The (un)Successful Confession of Uzumaki Naruto

by needchocolatenow



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-11
Updated: 2011-04-11
Packaged: 2017-10-17 23:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/182231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/needchocolatenow/pseuds/needchocolatenow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gaara has a box of chocolates. Naruto misinterprets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The (un)Successful Confession of Uzumaki Naruto

“Do you want some?” Gaara asks when Naruto continues his five minute long stare with the box of chocolates on the desk.

“No, no,” Naruto waves him off, a slight frown on his face. “I don’t want any.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Gaara gives Naruto a patient look, but Naruto is still glaring at the chocolates. Naruto may be many things, but Gaara knows that the blond isn’t crazy enough to be holding a glaring contest with a simple box of chocolates. That’s Uchiha’s forte. The glaring, that is.

Naruto shifts in his seat and finally, finally takes his eyes off of the box to look Gaara in the eyes. “It’s just you—I didn’t know that you—”

Gaara doesn’t think he’s ever seen Uzumaki Naruto flustered. Nervous, wrecked, tired, happy; he’s seen all those range of emotions, but he’s never seen flustered before. It’s a new thing and Gaara memorizes every detail on Naruto’s face from the flushed cheeks to the slight furrow of his brow. He waits patiently for Naruto to gather his wits about him and speak coherently.

“Do you—Do you like someone?” Naruto finally asks.

Gaara feels his eyes widen. “Do I like someone?” he echoes and nearly smiles. “Of course. I like a lot of someones. I am the Kazekage, after all. All my people are dear to me.”

“No, not like—” Naruto makes a frustrated noise and his blue eyes ghosts over the box of chocolates again for a second before snapping back to attention on Gaara. “I meant if there was anyone, um, special you like? _Like_ like?”

“Repeating the same word twice does not change the meaning of the word,” Gaara reprimands lightly. He can’t help but sound amused and Naruto scowls, picking up on his emotions.

“You know what I mean, Gaara,” Naruto says.

Gaara considers his words for a moment and then says; “There is. And you?”

Naruto opens his mouth to speak and the words die in his throat as a blush, not the angry red flush from earlier, but a full on blush floods Naruto’s face from the tip of his ears to his neck, running past the neckline of the plain black T-shirt he’s wearing. “I might have someone in mind,” Naruto mumbles quietly, looking at his hands.

There’s a moment of silence and Gaara takes pity on the blond. “I see. Does this conversation topic have anything to do with chocolate? If not then, let me suggest that we go for an early dinner today.”

Naruto’s shoulders sag with relief almost immediately and he jumps to his feet. He’s much taller than Gaara now and his skin’s bronzed from the hours he spends training outside every day. The whiskers on his cheeks never seem to fade or deepen even with time and Gaara almost sighs. The strange attributes of being a demon vessel; the rings around his eyes has never gone away, even when Shukaku had been removed so many years ago.

“Where should we go? Oh man, it’s been forever since I’ve been to Suna, I don’t really know a place. What about you? I bet you know all the good places! What about ramen? Do you guys have a good ramen place here?” Away from the awkward train of conversation, Naruto’s chattery self returns with full vigor. Gaara just nods politely as Naruto continues to blather on about the most delicious ramen in Konoha and how he hopes that there will be a place just as good in Suna.

As they exit Gaara’s office, they are immediately flanked by Temari and Kankuro.

“You’re signing out early,” Kankuro observes. There’s a hint of a smirk in his voice and Gaara willfully ignores it.

“We’re going for an early dinner,” he says and just knows that his siblings had just exchanged looks from either side of him. Naruto is either ignoring their antics or is entirely oblivious.

“Oh really? Where to?” Temari asks.

“The decision’s up to Gaara!” Naruto says with enthusiasm. “I hope wherever we’re going has ramen, not that I won’t like the place if it doesn’t, but what kind of restaurant doesn’t have ramen?”

Kankuro laughs and punches Naruto playfully on the arm. “Are you kidding? What if you went to a steak house? Are you going to ask them for ramen there too?”

“Um…they should have steak ramen, right?”

Temari rolls her eyes at the absurd conversation and turns to Gaara. “Why don’t you take him to Mainichi Buffet? It’s got food from all over so he’s bound to have something he’ll like.”

“I’ve never been there,” Gaara admits. “Is it good?”

“Don’t know,” Temari shrugs, the whole action lifting the giant fan on her back up and then down. “But it’s down the block to your left. You can’t miss it. It’s decked out all fancy-like.” She smirks. “As the Kazekage, I bet you can probably get people there to wait on you.”

“Temari,” Gaara sighs with fond exasperation. “Thank you for your input. Kankuro, stop badgering Naruto with stupid questions. Naruto, stop answering his stupid questions. We’re going to dinner.”

Kankuro makes a face and then nudges Naruto meaningfully. “Okay,” he says, his voice an octave too high as if he’s a child concealing an ill-hidden secret. “Have fun!” Kankuro probably did have some secret and Gaara almost rolls his eyes because his brother, normally such an adept puppet master and hiding behind layers of face paint, has no poker face. When Gaara turns down the street, he hears Kankuro call out to Naruto in a horribly loud whisper: “Go get him, tiger!”

Naruto blushes a light crimson and jogs to catch up to Gaara, who’s desperately trying to pretend that he’s not related to Kankuro.

“So, um,” Naruto says. “Er, a buffet! I like buffets. They’re nice. With all the food. And stuff.”

Gaara looks at Naruto and the blond is suddenly very, very close. Even though they’re walking side by side down the street in the late afternoon with the hot desert sun glaring into his eyes, Gaara can see every detail of Naruto in high clarity.

Like how there's a bit of sand at the spot right below Naruto’s left ear. An old, white scar on his neck. Tiny smattering of freckles dusting the bridge of his nose. One random strand of brown in an otherwise full head of blond hair.

And then Naruto smiles and it puts the desert sun to shame.

“You hardly make sense sometimes, you know?” Gaara states more than asks because Naruto has to know how much of a babbling idiot he is some times.

Naruto laughs and shoves at Gaara playfully. “You just need to learn how to have fun!”

Mainichi Buffet is decorated in the most outlandish style Gaara has ever seen and he’s seen plenty of places on his diplomatic travels. He gets a lot of ‘Oh, foreign dignitaries! Well, you must simply try this place, the food is to die for and please tell your friends back at home how wonderful this place is’ wherever he goes. The insignia of many nations hang from little banners all around the room and the walls are painted a shocking purple. Multitudes of statues and fake replicas of famous weapons around the world decorates the empty spaces between tables. Gaara almost laughs when he sees a replica of Temari’s giant fan on the back wall and one of his gourd right next to the cash register.

“Oh, Mister Sir Esteemed Kazekage of the Sand!” one of the servers exclaimed upon spotting him. “It’s an honor!”

Gaara nods, used to the random exclamations of added honoraries to his name when people are taken by surprise and not quite sure how to address him.

Naruto just grins. “Seats for two please!”

“Of course, right away, sirs,” the server says and ushers them quickly into the restaurant and past the rows of piping hot buffet trays.

They end up in the VIP room where the décor is, thankfully, a lot less gaudy. The cream colored walls are a far cry from the outside. The table that they end up seated at is circular and large; it’s bigger than Gaara’s office desk, which is saying something.

The food is strange tasting; spicy and tender on some dishes while others are crispy and sweet. Naruto comes back from the buffet with a plate of what looks like tiny chicken legs and he proudly shows them off to Gaara.

“Look! They’ve got the words smallest chicken here!” Naruto exclaims, popping a whole one into his mouth.

Gaara thinks it wise to not inform him that they aren't chicken legs, but rather, frog legs.

Dinner passes by quickly and Gaara is satiated much sooner than Naruto and he find himself watching the blond eat. Naruto inhales his food, Gaara observes, and does it with much gusto. He brings back several plates at once and devours it all before rushing back out to get more.

“Wow, I’m stuffed,” Naruto says when he’s finally finished eating.

Gaara chuckles and tosses a toothpick at him. “You have stuff stuck to your teeth,” he says and Naruto flashes him a teeth-showing grin, complete with the broccoli stuck between his front teeth.

“You hardly ate,” Naruto accuses.

“You ate too much,” Gaara shoots back.

Naruto pats his belly and belches satisfyingly. Gaara rolls his eyes and gets up from his seat. “Come on,” he says as he grabs Naruto by the arm and dragging him out of his chair. “Let’s go. You’re going to be fat at the rate you’re eating.”

“Hey! Will not!” Naruto says, making a face. “At least, I don’t think so. I exercise a lot! And I mean a lot! Do you have any idea how many drills we have to do as ANBU on active duty? When we have nothing to do, we spend hours training. Hours! I spend more time sleeping in the hospital than I do at home!”

“That just means you need to train more,” Gaara says simply as he slides out a large bill from his pocket and hands it over to the server at the cash register. Naruto’s eyes nearly bulge out of his skull when he sees the bill and he turns around, discreetly looking into his green froggy coin purse. There’s a few crumpled bills and some jangling of coins, but aside from that, Gaara can tell there’s not much of monetary value in there.

The server hands Gaara his change and he leaves behind a generous tip before following Naruto out of the restaurant.

It’s nearly sundown now and the sky is awash in violets and red. The terrible heat of the day is receding and a cool night breeze blows welcomed through the village. There are people out roaming the streets and setting up the night market; Suna may be a village in the desert, but its inhabitants knows how to work with the fluctuating temperature. During the day, most people stay indoors. When it’s cooler, the people come out and put out their wares, lighting candles and setting bright lanterns out to light up the streets.

“Gaara,” Naruto whispers and Gaara’s head snaps up to look at him.

He says nothing and returns the stare that Naruto’s leveling at him. The blond reaches out and lightly touches Gaara’s shoulder, but at the touch, Naruto shudders and snaps out of whatever trance he was in. “Er, sorry,” he says, turning pink. “You, um, had sand on your shoulder.”

Gaara knows that is absolutely not true, but he lets it slide.

“Let’s walk,” Gaara says.

They do walk; past the markets and towards the great canyon walls that surround Suna. It’s the outskirts, but Gaara feels selfish at the moment. He only wants Naruto’s attention to himself.

The wind is calming and cool, sending sand and dust up from the ground. It’s getting dark, but the skylight is still enough for Gaara to make out the features on Naruto’s face and the crisp lines of Naruto’s clothes.

“Hey, Gaara?”

He looks over to Naruto and finds the expression he’s met with is serious and determined. The usually light blue eyes that Gaara’s has come to recognize and become so fond of are awash with inner turmoil and emotion, even though Naruto is desperately trying to hide behind a stoic mask.

“Do you really have someone that you like?” he asks.

“Yes,” Gaara answers without hesitation. “There is someone.”

Naruto’s serious expression slowly melts into glumness. “Oh,” he says. “Oh.”

“You like someone too,” Gaara states because Naruto’s been a bit thick headed all day and can’t catch a hint if it danced in front of him naked.

“Well, yeah, but the person I like doesn’t like me,” Naruto says, his voice catching in his throat. He looks like he’s about to cry and Gaara smiles as gently as he knows how.

“Have you asked?” Gaara asks, stepping closer to Naruto and taking his hand. “Have you properly asked?”

“No,” Naruto says and he sounds confused. “Why are you—”

“I like you,” Gaara says in an almost whisper and the wind nearly catches it and takes it away. He watches as Naruto stills, nearly becoming stone, but he can feel Naruto’s pulse beating faster and faster. The words he uttered hang between them and the sands around them.

Naruto is slow to come to his senses. “You…did you just say what I think you did?”

“I like you,” Gaara repeats firmly. “Are you hearing impaired now?”

Naruto shakes his head violently. “N-No! Of course not! I’m just—when did—I thought you—”

Gaara wordlessly slides closer to Naruto until they’re chest to chest and he slides a hand to cup the back of Naruto’s head and brings their lips together for an impromptu kiss. Naruto looks stunned at the action. And a little pink.

“You talk a lot,” Gaara states and he feels rather than sees Naruto’s hand against his cheek, a thumb brushing against the edge of his lips.

Naruto doesn’t hesitate to kiss him again, chaste and sweet, lips on lips. “I’m dreaming,” he says as he pulls inches away. He looks every inch a happy fool, a grin plastered to his face and his eyes shining bright. “I am so dreaming! Holy crap, why didn’t you tell me sooner? I couldn’t stop thinking about you for months, Gaara, months! And damn it, I have no idea how Kankuro found out, but I had to deal with so much teasing from him!”

Gaara stops the impulse of rolling his eyes, though he’s not entirely sure that he’s stopped the twitching of his eye. Of course Kankuro would torture Naruto mercilessly with that info.

“Hey, then who are the fancy chocolates from?”

Gaara blinks. “Chocolates?”

“You know, the ones on your desk back at your office?” Naruto says, using his hands to measure out the dimensions of the box.

“Oh,” Gaara says as he realizes what Naruto’s talking about. “Those. Temari put them there.”

Naruto looks shocked for a moment and then starts to blush again. “I didn’t think—Oh man, kill me now,” he mutters and Gaara watches in fascination as the tip of Naruto's ears turn red.

“No, I don’t think so,” Gaara says and he smirks. “If you must know, I don’t like sugary things. Chocolates are not to my tastes.”

“You sly, conniving—”

Gaara growls impatiently. “Stop talking,” he says. “Or I’ll break up with you.”

“Whoa! We’re together? Like, together together? Not that I mind, since I, um, really like you too, so—”

“Talking.”

“Oh, right. Shutting up.”

When Naruto leans in close, his bright blue eyes shining in the near darkness, Gaara makes a mental note to thank his sister.


End file.
